The German news magazine Der Spiegel has lauded Greece’s new Minister of Administrative Reform, Kyriakos Mitsotakis for staying at his post and planning reforms and the transfer or firing of 25,000 public workers, and not even taking a summer break.
The German magazine noted his thankless task and wrote: “Meet Greece’s new Minister of Administrative Reform, the rich conservative young man with the mission to dismiss thousands of public servants,” apparently missing the irony.
The publication describes the pressures on Mitsotakis from the Troika referring that “In order to prove that he does his job, the ambitious offspring of an old political family, will soon “cut” thousands of jobs.”
The magazine also mentions that he postponed his summer family vacation and changed the appointment for this interview four times because he was so busy. It didn’t mention Greeks who couldn’t afford to take summer vacations because of austerity measures imposed on them, but praised his style and work ethic. “From his balcony, he can see the gray outline of Hymettus, the vivid green colors of the National Garden, the Presidential Guard changing formation, as well as the protesters gathering for once more in front of his office”.
Mitsotakis told the magazine: “It is true, 80% of the reforms should have been implemented ten years ago. Even before the creation of the Troika,” the international lenders of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) propping up the Greek economy.
The magazine made extensive reference to his family, led by a former premier , Constandinos Mitsotakis. “I know that I come from a political family. I know that with the name I have, I must do more than the others. I can’t fall into mistakes,” he said, adding that at first, he was reluctant to deal with politics, but then he changed his mind.
He mentioned that he that he became persona non grata to his colleagues in the Parliament when he proposed the stoppage of the use of official cars and cutting the remuneration of 300 euros ($395) for going to committee meetings on top of their monthly salaries of about $10,000 while they are cutting pay, raising taxes, slashing pensions and getting ready to approve the firing of public workers while exempting those in the Parliament.
“His opponents quickly began to accuse him that he could certainly cover his expenses without specific benefits, as he is a son of high society. In the end, he was the only who left his official car, although he managed to reduce by half the remuneration for the committees,” Spiegel wrote.
Finally, the article states that, “The tall, thin, 45-year old man with the youthful boyish face, may has the position with the most challenges in the Greek political scene. He was for three consecutive days in his office, after the starting of the negotiations with the Troika for the dismissal of 15.000 public servants, until the end of the following year”.
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